Mountains by Moonlight

Mark Peiser, Mountains by Moonlight, 1984, glass, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Dale and Doug Anderson, 1996.85.1
Copied Mark Peiser, Mountains by Moonlight, 1984, glass, 8 7⁄8 x 4 5⁄8 x 2 3⁄4 in. (22.6 x 11.8 x 7.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Dale and Doug Anderson, 1996.85.1

Artwork Details

Title
Mountains by Moonlight
Artist
Date
1984
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
8 7⁄8 x 4 5⁄8 x 2 3⁄4 in. (22.6 x 11.8 x 7.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Dale and Doug Anderson
Mediums
Mediums Description
glass
Classifications
Keywords
  • Landscape — time — sunrise
Object Number
1996.85.1
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1996.85.1

Artwork Description

Mark Peiser has made many sculptures that show landscapes with a sun or moon hovering above. He forms the initial image by pouring layers of molten glass into a mold, then quickly adds a dollop of a different color to the hot mixture for the floating sphere. In Mountains by Moonlight a simple twist of frosted glass creates the illusion of rolling hills below a clear blue sky. The highly polished planes of glass on the outside refract the image so that we see a slightly different view from each angle.